Like a Stone explained

Like a Stone
Cover:audioslave_like_a_stone.png
Type:single
Artist:Audioslave
Album:Audioslave
Released:[1]
Recorded:2001–2002
Genre:
Prev Title:Cochise
Prev Year:2002
Next Title:Show Me How to Live
Next Year:2003

"Like a Stone" is a song by the American rock supergroup Audioslave, released as the second single from their eponymous debut studio album Audioslave on January 20, 2003. The song topped both the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts, and reached number 31 on the Hot 100 chart, making it their biggest US hit. "Like a Stone" has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP). It is also certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It became the fifth best performing alternative song on the Alternative Songs chart of the decade and the eighth best performing rock song on the Mainstream Rock chart of the decade.

Background and composition

Bassist Tim Commerford claimed that the song is about an old man waiting for death, who sits in a house alone after all his friends and family have passed on, waiting to be reunited with them.[5] [6] [7] However, while Commerford originally thought it was a song about love and romance,[5] the band's singer and songwriter Chris Cornell explained that "It's a song about concentrating on the afterlife you would hope for, rather than the normal monotheistic approach: You work really hard all your life to be a good person and a moral persona and fair and generous, and then you go to hell anyway."[8]

The melancholy tone and certain parts of the lyrics of "Like a Stone" have prompted some to wonder if Cornell wrote the song about the late Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley, who died in April 2002. Cornell denied this, saying "No. I'm not one of those guys where, like, something happens and then I go run around, 'Ooh, 9/11, and now it's 9/12, let me write about that. I wrote the lyrics before he died. [...] You can misinterpret that stuff pretty easy, but I don't tend to sit down and plan on writing about a specific issue. They come up or they don't."[9]

Music video

The music video for "Like a Stone" was filmed in January 2003[10] and released on February 22, 2003.[11] It was conceived and directed Meiert Avis, a Grammy-winner who has also directed videos for State Radio, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, J-Lo and many others.[12] The video was produced by Oualid Mouaness, edited by Jim Rhoads and set in an old Spanish mansion in Silver Lake, Los Angeles where Jimi Hendrix once lived and wrote music in.[12] Commerford's then 1-year-old son, Xavier was featured in the video.[13] It shows the band performing inside the mansion where they also set up a recording booth.[14] According to Avis, the strange green/blue color palette of the video was to suggest bruising and abuse.[12]

The music video reached over 1 billion views on YouTube in October 2022.[15]

UK CD single: track listing

A CD single version of "Like A Stone" released in the United Kingdom in 2003 contained the following tracks.[16] All lyrics written by Chris Cornell; all music composed by Audioslave, except "Super Stupid" written by George Clinton, Eddie Hazel, Billy Bass Nelson and Tawl Ross.

  1. "Like a Stone" – 4:54
  2. "Like a Stone" – 4:58
  3. "Gasoline" – 4:45
  4. "Set It Off" – 4:01
  5. "Super Stupid"
  6. "Like a Stone"

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2003)!scope="col"
Position
Brazil (Crowley)[18] 56
Colombia (B & V Marketing)[19] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 96
Chart (2017)!scope="col"
Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[21] 91

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock . Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated . October 30, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130322142732/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16771 . March 22, 2013 .
  2. Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best. Cosores. Philip. Consequence of Sound. July 4, 2017. September 13, 2020. 10.
  3. Web site: Loudwire Staff. The 66 Best Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century. Loudwire. October 2, 2020. September 10, 2022. April 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220412202427/https://loudwire.com/best-hard-rock-songs-21st-century/. live.
  4. In Defense of Post-Grunge Music. Geffen. Sasha. Consequence of Sound. October 7, 2013. December 30, 2023.
  5. Web site: Irwin . Corey . November 18, 2022 . 20 Years Ago: Audioslave Arrives With Powerhouse First Album . Ultimate Classic Rock . August 18, 2023 . June 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603150751/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/audioslave-debut-album/ . live .
  6. July 29, 2003 . . DVD . Interscope Records/Epic Records.
  7. Web site: Songfacts - Like A Stone by Audioslave . Songfacts . May 14, 2007 . May 6, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180506181729/http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2676 . live .
  8. Web site: The Audioslave Fan Forum - Audioslave FAQ . audioslaved.com . May 14, 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927194938/http://www.audioslaved.com/modules.php?name=FAQ2#35 . September 27, 2007 .
  9. Web site: AUDIOSLAVE Select 'Like A Stone' As Second Single . December 11, 2002 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20151222113819/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/audioslave-select-like-a-stone-as-second-single/ . December 22, 2015 . live. April 23, 2018.
  10. Web site: January 8, 2003 . AUDIOSLAVE Film New Video, Hit The Road . . August 18, 2023 . August 18, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818151527/https://blabbermouth.net/news/audioslave-film-new-video-hit-the-road . live .
  11. Web site: February 22, 2003 . AUDIOSLAVE: 'Like A Stone' Video Posted Online . . August 18, 2023 . August 18, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818151537/https://blabbermouth.net/news/audioslave-like-a-stone-video-posted-online . live .
  12. Web site: Audioslave - Like A Stone – Meiert Avis . Avis . Meiert . April 13, 2014 . meiertavis.com . September 24, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151208105848/http://meiertavis.com/archives/565 . December 8, 2015 . dead .
  13. Web site: Kennelty . Greg . 2022-10-12 . AUDIOSLAVE's "Like A Stone" Video Passes One Billion Views On YouTube . 2024-07-16 . Metal Injection . en-US.
  14. Web site: Audioslave - Like a Stone (Official Video) . October 25, 2009 . YouTube . January 31, 2022 . January 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220131034450/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QU1nvuxaMA . live .
  15. Web site: Audioslave’s ‘Like a Stone’ Joins YouTube’s Billion Views Club. October 12, 2022. Billboard. Glenn. Rowley. July 9, 2023. July 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230709162407/https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/audioslave-like-a-stone-one-billion-views-youtube-1235154828/. live.
  16. Web site: CD single - Audioslave . 45worlds . January 24, 2020 . January 24, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200124192750/http://www.45worlds.com/cdsingle/cd/6735715 . live .
  17. Audioslave Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales). Billboard. July 9, 2024.
  18. Web site: Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2003. April 3, 2018. Crowley Broadcast Analysis. January 30, 2022. January 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220130045218/https://maistocadas.mus.br/2003/. live.
  19. Web site: DISCOS DEL 2003 PARA RECORDAR. El Tiempo (Colombia). September 14, 2022. January 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220131023836/https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-1047730. live.
  20. Web site: Longbored Surfer - 2003. LongboredSurfer.com. Pedro. October 22, 2014. October 7, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141007194436/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/2003. live.
  21. Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2017. Billboard. May 5, 2020.

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